1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed toward an improved gardening tool. The invention is more particularly directed toward an improved gardening tool of the cultivating or hoe type.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under CFR .sctn..sctn.1.97-1.99
Gardening tools of the hoe type are known. The simplest known hoe type tool has a generally rectangular blade with means for attaching a handle at the middle of the blade adjacent the top edge. The bottom edge of the blade is usually tapered to provide a cutting edge. It is known to provide variations of this known hoe construction. In one known variation, one short side of the rectangular blade could be pointed transforming the rectangular blade into a five sided blade. In another known variation, the rectangular hoe blade could be long and narrow in shape. One side of the blade, usually the long side, in any variation, could have triangular shaped teeth along its length. A short side of the blade could have one or more deep tapered slots forming weed root cutting teeth.
The known hoe type tools have a disadvantage however. All the known tools are made from relatively thin stock material, usually steel sheet about one-sixteenth of an inch thick. This thin sheet material prevents a wide taper from being put on the blade adjacent the cutting edge of the blade. If a wide taper were put on the thin blade, the cutting edge portion would be so thin as to be liable to bend during use which would ruin the hoe. A narrow taper however means that the cutting edge becomes dull quickly and thus makes the tool inefficient. The narrow taper also makes it more difficult for the blade to enter the earth. This makes it more difficult to use the hoe. When the blade does enter the earth, the narrow taper causes it to immediately split a clump of earth off the remainder of the earth. This action minimizes any self sharpening of the blade obtained by the blade passing through earth.